Psalm 81

Psalm 81

God’s Appeal to Stubborn Israel

To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.

1 Sing aloud to God our strength;shout for joy to the God of Jacob.2 Raise a song, sound the tambourine,the sweet lyre with the harp.3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,at the full moon, on our festal day.4 For it is a statute for Israel,an ordinance of the God of Jacob.5 He made it a decree in Joseph,when he went out over[a] the land of Egypt.

I hear a voice I had not known:6 ‘I relieved your[b] shoulder of the burden;your[c] hands were freed from the basket.7 In distress you called, and I rescued you;I answered you in the secret place of thunder;I tested you at the waters of Meribah.Selah8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you;O Israel, if you would but listen to me!9 There shall be no strange god among you;you shall not bow down to a foreign god.10 I am the Lord your God,who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

11 ‘But my people did not listen to my voice;Israel would not submit to me.12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,to follow their own counsels.13 O that my people would listen to me,that Israel would walk in my ways!14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,and turn my hand against their foes.15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,and their doom would last for ever.16 I would feed you[d] with the finest of the wheat,and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.’

Psalm 81New International Version (NIV)

1 Sing for joy to God our strength;shout aloud to the God of Jacob!2 Begin the music, strike the timbrel,play the melodious harp and lyre.

3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;4 this is a decree for Israel,an ordinance of the God of Jacob.5 When God went out against Egypt,he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:

6 “I removed the burden from their shoulders;their hands were set free from the basket.7 In your distress you called and I rescued you,I answered you out of a thundercloud;I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[c]8 Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—if you would only listen to me, Israel!9 You shall have no foreign god among you;you shall not worship any god other than me.10 I am the Lord your God,who brought you up out of Egypt.Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

11 “But my people would not listen to me;Israel would not submit to me.12 So I gave them over to their stubborn heartsto follow their own devices.

13 “If my people would only listen to me,if Israel would only follow my ways,14 how quickly I would subdue their enemiesand turn my hand against their foes!15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,and their punishment would last forever.16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

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